World's Greatest Internship

You should select me because

Because I’ll get lost, I’ll mess up, I’ll fail, I’ll fall (literally, I’m super clumsy) but I’ll pick myself up, learn, grow, and keep going.I bring a diverse skillset with an unfaltering love for typography, print, branding, web design, coding and user experience design. In collaborating with charities and people like the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Country Women’s Association, Surf Life Saving and the Sunflower Foundation, I see the value in socially engaged projects and the ability for design to not only carry depth and resonance but generate responses that are culturally and socially beneficial. In terms of ‘real world experience’, I have been freelancing for over two years working alongside clients ranging from Everlight Radiology to Liveschool. In the past, I’ve interned at Hello Social where I was able to experience working in the social media marketing industry first hand. I produced content for clients such as Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks. It was through this role where I truly understood the power of social media and it’s potential as a business tool. More recently, I’ve had the pleasure of interning at There, where I worked across both the Brand and Environmental team, assisting in the creative delivery of projects. The role was hands-on and I was also given the privilege of leading my own projects from inception to roll-out. My time at There was an invaluable experience where I was able to build a deep understanding of the creative process and develop unique insights through research, conducting workshops and through conceptual and collaborative thinking. Working in a fast paced environment and under strict deadlines, I was able to work within a team and also independently, often contributing to design critiques and communicating back and forth with clients. I am excited about meeting new people, working collaboratively, making a positive impact and striving to be best that I can be. I hope to utilise my creative skill-set, my practical experience, my passions, my insatiable curiosity and my unfaltering drive in order to create meaningful work.

1. Why are you interested in wgi?

I’m hungry for the new, the brilliant and the unexpected. This is an experience I didn’t know I needed but now I just can’t stop thinking about it.

2. What are you looking to gain from an experience such as WGI?

To connect with people and the world. To inspire others who inspire me. I’m looking to collect and share an unbelievable array of experiences, insights, hard lessons, learn more about myself and how to think and be in my practice.

3. What would be your goals after completing WGI if you were selected?

To face my fears head on and to use everything I’ve learnt towards creating a reality that sets me up to maximise the impact of my work and how it can be manifested in the world.

4. How did you hear about wgi?

Thanks to my Instagram stalking prowess.

5. Share an example of a time you were most motivated and a time you were most demotivated.

In early 2018, I travelled to Hong Kong for the first time and participated in an interdisciplinary studio at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. I worked alongside a group of diverse designers who quickly became like family to me! We were asked to research, explore and observe Hong Kong’s tramways and create a design response. In our research phase, we conducted interviews, drew sketches and maps, we made short films, we took photographs, all in order to develop our understanding of them. Upon reflection of the findings, we developed insights that communicated the historical significance of the city’s tramways and how we could possibly look to preserve them and their legacy. We were challenged by how we could best communicate something that was not tangible and difficult for us to grasp as 'outsiders'. It is through this project where I felt that I was truly beginning to build self awareness of my world view and it’s effect on my work. As an Australian-born Chinese, I’ve always had difficulty trying to marry the expectations of my heritage with Western norms. Sometimes it feels like I don’t belong anywhere. But this studio allowed me to see the value in my position as an outsider. I had a unique perspective and I felt a responsibility to be more sensitive to the world around me because of it. I began to take a tireless interest in everything that went around me, constantly scanning, scrutinising and absorbing everything. I observed how objects synonymous with Hong Kong’s working culture i.e. hand carts and stools, which painted a vivid picture of Hong Kong’s resourcefulness. Consequently, my third year of uni became the most motivated I had ever been. After I had finished my final year, I reached out to ten of my favourite studios in Sydney for any freelance or internship opportunities. I also applied for several graduate programs. The majority of studios didn’t reply and those that did, weren't looking at the time. I got through to the final round of three of the graduate programs but wasn’t selected for any of them. It was kind of discouraging and I started to doubt my abilities, my accomplishments and had this persistent fear that I wasn’t good enough. Fast forward four months later, and I’m still pretty lost. I can't help but feel like I’m running out of time; that there is a mounting pressure for me to start ‘real life’. I’m still trying to figure it out.

6. In your opinion, what creates a great culture at a company?

When you can’t wait to get to work to see everyone’s wonderful faces! When your workplace becomes a home away from home. Diverse and motivated people who not only listen but also respect each other and whose ideas are fostered in a collaborative, open-minded and mutually supportive environment where it’s okay to be vulnerable and courageous.

7. What brands and companies do you admire and why?

1. It's Nice That. “Creativity is incredibly powerful. It can move, astonish, connect and challenge us.” From humble beginnings, ‘It’s Nice That’ has grown into a multitude of platforms including a website, a magazine, a symposium and a monthly talk series. The website has become a constant source of inspiration and a way for me to stay creatively engaged with the world around me. I admire INT’s push for diversity and equal representation, how it champions creativity by giving voice to new emerging talents from around the world from different design backgrounds. 2. Girlfriend Collective (Slow, ethical and eco friendly activewear). Girlfriend Collective has helped me change my way of thinking from “these issues are too big for me to do anything about” to “now it’s personal”. With an emphasis on transparency and sustainability, Girlfriend Collective has taught me an important lesson in telling and sharing stories (#Imadeyourclothes) and how to transform waste into wealth (they also make the comfiest tights in the world). 3. The Design Kids. Going to a TDKtuesdays is somewhat comparable to getting a big warm hug from your mother after a shit day. The Design Kids is a global creative community that aims to bridge the gap between study and work in design. After finishing school, I turned to The Design Kids who helped guide me through my first steps into the ‘real world’. I felt like I had a better understanding of the industry and my place in it. Founder Frankie Ratford is a force of nature. I admire her entrepreneurial spirit and her self-imposed six year roadtrip (I’ll have one of those please) which has left me with two important lessons. One, ‘you can achieve anything with hard work’ and two, ‘design is both a local experience and a global one’.

8. What do you do to stay sharp and improve your craft?

One of the more important lessons I’ve learnt from working in customer service is that there is no “I don’t know” there is only “let's find out”. I’m believer in the more you expand your knowledge beyond your practice, the more influence you will have in the world. Whether it’s initiating personal projects, reaching out to charities and organisations for live briefs, trying my hand at something I’ve never done before or meeting and connecting with new people, staying sharp is staying curious, driven and compassionate.

9. What’s your favorite quote?

“Creativity is about risk-taking, it’s about the rejection of comfort, and it’s about sweat - not the sweat of fear but the sweat of hard work.” - Adrian Shaughnessy

10. If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be?

Sherry Wang

I’m hungry for the new, the brilliant and the unexpected. This is an experience I didn’t know I needed but now I just can’t stop thinking about it.

To connect with people and the world. To inspire others who inspire me. I’m looking to collect and share an unbelievable array of experiences, insights, hard lessons, learn more about myself and how to think and be in my practice.

To face my fears head on and to use everything I’ve learnt towards creating a reality that sets me up to maximise the impact of my work and how it can be manifested in the world.

Thanks to my Instagram stalking prowess.

“Creativity is about risk-taking, it’s about the rejection of comfort, and it’s about sweat - not the sweat of fear but the sweat of hard work.” - Adrian Shaughnessy